Author: newmanblake

The season of football has arrived and, ladies, I’m sure you are cringing at the thought of stats, running backs, and non stop ESPN. Don’t look at it as a bad thing but a way to spend more time with your man. Whether you’re single, in a relationship, or married there are a few very important things you need to remember this football season.

1. Don’t Fight It

Doing things like hiding the remote, “accidentally” breaking the DVR, or purposely scheduling plans for when you know his favorite team is playing will backfire. Not only will he be frustrated that he is missing out, but he will start to resent you and watch even more football.

2. You Never Have To Worry Where Your Man Is

Look on the bright side. You will never have to wonder where your man is or what your plans are on the weekends. If you are just beginning to date each other, you will be spared the anxiety that comes with hoping he is not going out with another woman on Saturday or why he doesn’t call your back on Monday. He’s actually been in his living room since seven o’ clock in the morning and he’s not moving from the couch.

3. If You See Your Man Upset, PLEASE Do Not Say Something Along The Lines Of “It’s Just A Game” Or “It’s Okay, Honey.”

While the response to both of those statements are a huge “No, it’s not,” all you’ll really get is a silent response, as we get even angrier from your comment. So if you see we’re upset because of a play or just the game in general, just walk away. The situation at this point can only go down from here on. For all of the “house divided” couples I just don’t see how you do it.

4. The Size Of The Screen Is VERY Important,

Basically the bigger the game the bigger the screen needs to be. Especially when the National Championship or Super Bowl is on. So when your man goes out to buy that new 70″ TV, rejoice, as you’ll be watching Real House Wives on it when football season is over. By the way the National Championship and Super bowl are events all their own and should be deemed a national holidays in itself.

5. Keep Yourself Busy

If watching sports all day is your idea of a personal hell, call some fellow football widows and go out to lunch, go shopping, or do whatever makes you feel good. Make plans with your mom, as it’s likely she is a football widow too, and let the guys have the house to themselves.

6. The Snacks That Are Served

This step is key…FOOD and BEER. Cook…yes, cook! Make the perfect game watching finger foods and if you really want to get in good with your man go to the store and get him his favorite craft brew 6 pack. Trust me this will get you major points. When he’s ready to go you take him to the sofa and tell him you just want to watch the game with him and would like for him to explain it to you. He won’t turn you down and will even be pleasantly surprised.

7. If You Want Something, The Best Time To Ask is AFTER A Nice Victory From His Favorite Team

We all know girls love those bags that cost $500 because there’s a C, LV, or whatever letter logo on it. Well, if you see that your man’s team just won and are going to National Championship or Super Bowl, your best bet is to sneak in the suggestion during that time. Especially if it was an overtime game, he’ll go pick up that overly priced bag that night!

8. Don’t EVER Say The Words “You love your stupid football game more than me.”

Secretly, we probably do but forbid we ever even act like we’re thinking about it. We don’t go into your closet and start throwing around your shoes while you’re looking at them, saying you love shoes more than us. So whatever problem, activity, and drama you have with me during the game, PLEASE don’t ruin the day by saying those words. Just like we will never understand why you pay hundreds to thousands of dollars on a bag that holds things just as well as the $20 purse, you will never understand the love of the game.

9. Don’t Plan Get Togethers During A Game. Unless It Is Centered On The Game.

We all know women love to plan stuff. Feel free to plan all during the week but come Saturday and Sunday, those are events that have been on our calenders for years. Do not attempt to drag your man to a baby shower, mall, or any other activity where a man will be forced to just stand there and look helpless on a game day!

10. If You Can’t Beat Em Join Em

I’m a firm believer that most women don’t like football because they don’t understand it. It’s really quite an amazing game. The battle that goes on in the trenches, running backs avoiding tackles, the cunning in which a receiver makes a catch going out-of-bounds and somehow manages to get two feet in bounds while running at top speed. It’s the perfect blend of force and finesse. So sit down and watch a game with your man sometime. Who knows? It might be the best decision you ever made.

Pro tip: Don’t ever try to understand why men are obsessed with football. It’s a complete waste of time

This football season keep these tips in mind. Remember football is awesome, learn the game, cheer for your team, and support your man!

Happy Football Season and Roll Tide!

“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.” – Bill Shankly

West Virginia fans Brace yourselves! We are 1 day away from Alabama football. That means in less than 24 hours Bama will be steam rolling your beloved Mountaineers and starting the road to 16. When you walk into the Georgia Dome mentally prepare yourself as you’re coming into the slaughter house. You should hit up the thrift stores as well cause you’re gonna need some new couches after Bama burns yours up.

The funny thing is West Virginia fans seem to think that actually have a legitimate chance to beat Alabama, and rightfully so as they had a 4-8 record last year in the intimidating Big 12 conference. As the West Virginia blog, The Smoking Musket, put it: Alabama is dead! The best part of Alabama being dead is of the 16 man Smoking Musket staff only 1 person picked the Mountaineers to beat Bama. Glad you’re so confident after your bold prediction. We shall see how “dead” Bama is when Saban and the Lane Train stream roll their way through your terrible Big 12 defense and laugh as we burn your couches to mere ashes. Quit it Mountaineers, you’re making us laugh.

We all know this isn’t going to be much of a game. The numbers tell us that not only does Alabama have the edge in every category, they completely outclass West Virginia across the board. Come tomorrow afternoon the world will see your pitiful excuse of a football team.

Learn your opponent – West Virginia: You can’t sum up West Virginia fans in one word but I’ll try with a few. Crazy, like to burn couches, hillbillies, terrible at football, just to name a few. Mountaineers why are you’re fans pure crazy? I mean we thought LSU fans were bad but wow you hillbillies set the crazy bar high. Burning couches, rioting in the streets, setting everything you can find on fire. Come on now just because you have a terrible football team don’t mean you need to act all crazy.

History of West Virginia football: Even though Alabama and West Virginia have never played each other, West Virginia has been playing football since 1891 and in 121 seasons has won 11 games just four times. On a side note to the game, 2014 will be the 150th anniversary of General William “The original Couch Burner” Sherman’s, burning of Atlanta. Is this a coincidence? hmmmm…… or probably just a sign Bama is going to Burn the city Georgia Dome down when it torches West Virginia on Saturday.

West Virgina Team 2014: The West Virginia Mountaineers return seven starters on each side of the ball. Their offense, which was 80th in the country in points scored, will be led by quarterback Clint Trickett, who passed for 1,600 yards and seven touchdowns before suffering a shoulder injury. The Mountaineers strength this season will be their running game which is led by Wendell Smallwood and Rushel Shell. Defensively, the Mountaineers have nowhere to go but up after finishing 100th in points allowed. To sum it up you’re going to lose.

West Virginia be real, Pat White, Tavon Austin, and Bruce Irvin aren’t walking through that door. So don’t expect to have a happy ending come Saturday night. I say this to warn you of the havoc that is about to be wreaked!

I’d love to hear your predictions and/or excuses about the game. If you care to put in your input leave me a comment.

Every day there’s a reason to celebrate something, whether that be a birthday, a event, or even just life. And while beer is part of most of these celebrations, and why not, doesn’t it make sense that one of America’s favorite styles of beer gets its own day in the spotlight? So today we raise our glasses and celebrate the hoppiest day of the year, #IPAday.

The day also known as: put down that Bud Light and drink a real beer day. I actually have nothing against Bud Light <sarcasm>, but if you’re not an IPA fan because you think it’s too bold for you, I urge you to give it another chance. When I first started drinking (real) beer, I wasn’t for sure about IPAs, too. But now they’re my favorite style of beer. Like so many of life’s more complex consumables, enjoying IPAs takes a little practice, a little thoughtfulness, and a little time to warm up to.

What Is IPA Day?

IPA Day was created in 2011, not by corporate breweries or big marketing machines, but by by bonafide beer enthusiasts Ashley Routson and Ryan Ross, who love and revel in craft beer and all the joy it brings! Whether you’re a brewer, a craft beer fanatic, or just a casual fan, it’s a day for everyone to come together, raise a glass, and give a cheer to craft beer, and on this day specifically, the delicious IPA!

Why Celebrate IPA Day?

Or the better question would be, why not celebrate IPA day? This illustrious style represents the pinnacle of brewing innovation with its broad spectrum of diverse brands, subcategories, and regional flavor variations—making it the perfect style to galvanize craft beer’s social voice. Whether your a brewer, blogger, or just enjoy craft beer, IPA Day gives you the chance to lift up your glass and celebrate IPAs in unison.

How to Participate in IPA Day

It easy, just share your photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes, and thoughts on IPA with the world. Be sure to tag your posts with the #IPAday hashtag and check and see what’s going on around your area. There are many meetups as breweries, restaurants, and bottleshops will be hosting events.

#IPAday Selection: Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA

Named by Esquire Magazine as “perhaps the best IPA in America”, this 90-minute IPA pulls out the big guns when it comes to American Double IPAs. I’d been hearing it talked up before actually getting my hands on one to try it, so I was afraid I might be disappointed.

But I wasn’t!

90 is quite surprising for the boldness yet complemented by elegance. Very deceiving and seductive. I can’t remember the last time a beer made me sweat. One sip gives you so much and everything is appropriately themed 90 with 9%ABV and 90 IBUs. I’d argue that these are some of the best hops the US has to offer.

This beer will help you set the standard for what a good IPA is. It’s not a everyday beer, it’s a beer to break out when there’s something worth celebrating.

Bottom line: Worth the hype! A perfect selection to start off IPA day right. ($11/4)

So, if you’re ready to join in the fun, all it takes is a #IPAday hashtag and a few thumb movements, and you’re well on your way to celebrating IPAday, 2014. Let me know in the comments below what IPA you’ll be drinking today. Cheers!

“Celebrate we will for life is short but sweet for certain” – Dave Matthews Band

The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts The Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing of all the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry.

This month’s Session is hosted by Jake at Hipster Brewfus and the topic is Beer Fight Club. In a nutshell Jake wants to know have you ever drank a beer that became a battle, more than an enjoyable experience?

When I think of a beer that became a battle to drink, one comes to mind that never really let go of me. It’s always hung on like it stole something from inside me. The beer which I’m talking about is simply known as “The Lambic” and here’s my story about the night I encountered it. Hope you enjoy.

It was a cool fall night, I remember it well. A slight breeze, football was in the air, and I was on the hunt to try a new beer. I walked out of the house and swung by my local brewshop to browse their plethora of beers. I decided to go with one of those “make your own six packs” and as I was surveying the beer selection my eye caught Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic. I stared at the Lambic and it was almost as if it was staring back, tempting me to take it. I felt like I was staring in the eyes of Medusa, but couldn’t look away as the Lambic knew it had me. As it forced me to put it in the 6 pack I thought to myself, this can’t be good, but it was already in control. I would say it was fate, but upon arriving at my house I would think otherwise.

Once I got home I let it sit in the fridge several days. I kept opening and closing the door, but unfortunately day after day it still appeared staring me back in the eyes. One day, after building up courage I decided to pull it out and open the Lambic beast. As the cap came off you could hear snaps, crackles, pops, and even screams as if this beer was about to attack. As I was cautiously pouring it, I saw it had a beautiful redish brown appearance, and the smell of fruit and cranberry flooded the room. This gave me a false sense of security, deceiving me into thinking this beer was about to be delicious.

As I raised the glass up to my lips it drew to me as if it knew what it had in store. I took my first gulp and I immeditatley knew it had me. Chills of Cranberry Lambic hit my palate as it started to take over. I felt as though a Siren was luring me in with her beauty, only to devour my soul as I drank it. Now scared I closed my eyes and took another sip, but to my surprise the chills quickly came back. I opened my eyes and there it was still full staring back at me. At this point I knew the Lambic wouldn’t go quietly. It was after something more, and that more was me.

You could feel it taking pride in watching me almost pass out sip after sip. The putrid taste was so bad I couldn’t possibly take another sip, but I knew I had to act quick. I thought to myself, “how can I rid myself of this cranberry beast?” I quickly ran to the kitchen sink to pour it out, but it wouldn’t have that. As I panicked, trying to find a way to get rid of this cranberry ghost of Sam Adams, I knew the only way to escape it was to finish it. So painstakingly I turned the glass up, sip after terrible sip, and it was finished. The Lambic put up a fight and didn’t go quietly, but in the end I knew I was the victor. I had conquered the possessed Lambic Cranberry. But the story doesn’t end here.

The next day I was feeling as though I’d conquered the world, but when I opened the fridge, to my surprise the Lambic had returned. Every now and then the Lambic reappears in my local brewstore before quickly vanishing, taking it’s next victim with it. The legend of the Lambic lives on to this day. I still shudder when it’s name is mentioned. If you come across this beast just don’t look in it’s eyes.

This post has been my contribution to The Session, a monthly collaborative blogging effort with beer writers from around the world. I hope you enjoyed.

I’m a big fan of Southern Tier Brewing Company. It all started when I got my hands on their prized Pumking. After that, I fell in love with their beer. Located in Lakewood, New York, the brewery is named aptly for the region of New York, a section west of the Catskill mountains and just north of Pennsylvania. Though the brewery itself is located near the Southern Tier region of New York. I’ve never had a chance to visit the brewery but I’m sure with the quality beer I’ve tried I wouldn’t be disappointed.

I ran across Southern Tier Live at my local brew store and thought to myself, might as well try it since I’ve liked every other beer from Southern Tier. It wasn’t until I got home and was reading the label when I noticed it was a bottle conditioned pale ale. Which means extra yeast is added that helps add carbonation and remove oxygen from the beer. Due to the presence of the yeast, the beer develops and changes slightly overtime and gives the beer added shelf life.

One of the best parts about being a craft beer fan is that you never know when an unexpected surprise awaits. Southern Tier Live was just that, a unexpected surprise. A bottle conditioned pale ale, which utilizes 4 varieties of hops and 4 types of malts. This unexpected surprise has turned into one of my go to beers whenever it’s available.

Southern Tier Live

Serving Type: 12 oz. Bottle

Appearance: A loud ppppsssttt and quick rush of beer up the neck reminds me that it’s definitely a “live” beer. It pours a dense, frothy white head that bubbles for a few seconds after pouring. The color is a moderately hazed orangeish brown. In my experience with this beer, if u get crystal clear LIVE you have not received the best Southern Tier has to offer.

Smell: Nose is quite effervescent, nice hops up front, very citrusy and floral, a real pleasant aroma. The way it melds with the other aromas make it pretty solid. It’s simple straight-forward, but rather effective. Simply put it smells delicious.

Taste: Citrus and pine upfront, toasted malts, and a bit grassy at the end of the palate that carries into the aftertaste. The taste of malt is pretty well interwoven with the hops and yeast as a pale should be. It’s enough to satisfy the hop tongue and crisp enough to session. The bottle conditioning lends a yeasty smoothness to the beer.

Drinkability: With four hops and four malts Live is a easy to drink beer that’s worth it’s while. It’s definitely very sessionable with the alcohol at only 5.5%.

Overall thoughts: Now this is a neat beer. With Live you get a bottle conditioned beer that isn’t like most pale ales you will try. It’s well balanced with plenty of flavor, but very easy to drink. Packed with tons of great hop flavor, but with a wickedly light (yet alluring) body, it’s probably the most refreshing, yet heavily hopped, beers I’ve ever had. A very refreshing cool drink on a hot summer day. Live is the real deal. Definitely my kind of pale ale.

College football is upon us friends. It’s officially only 37 more days until Alabama football. Known to every Bama fan as 37 more days until the Tide starts its quest of becoming 2014 national champions.

Here’s just a few reasons why Bama is going to win the National Championship and dominate your team this football season. Sit back, enjoy, and see what’s in store for Bama football this year.

Disclaimer: This post may be offensive if you’re not part of the Bama family or represent a conference other than the SEC. This article was written in crimson colored glasses and we believe all statements to be true. We expect you to believe the same after your dreams are crushed when your favorite team plays the Crimson Tide. If you can’t accept the fact that Alabama will be National Champions at seasons end look away now. Due to the graphic nature of the soon to be Alabama domination viewer discretion is advised. You’ve been warned. Roll Tide!

Nick Saban, the man, the idol, the legend. Not even 100 million dollars could steal him away. He’s back to win another ship and return the title to it’s rightful owners.

Running Back U – TJ Yeldon, Derrick Henry, Kenyan Drake, Altee Tenpenny, and the list goes on. Need I say more, our second and third string backs are going to get more yards than your starter.

Motivation. The 2013 season is over and we’re starting this year with a chip on our shoulder. If there’s one thing you don’t want it’s an even more motivated Alabama team. Oklahoma enjoy the defeat of a SEC team cause it will never happen again and Auburn come November 29th may Nick Saban have mercy on your soul.

Your team is Georgia and you have ol Mark Richt as your coach. Half your team will be gone due to felonies by August which is the norm. The Georgia Football Team Motto “Where Misdemeanors and Felonies Happen”.

All your 5 starz belongs to us. Does your weak team from whatever conference even have any 5 stars on it? Pretty much if you see a 5 star recruit you can bet he’s playing for the good guys.

Lane Kiffin or known to Bama fans as the Lane Train. You may love him, you may hate him, but you’re probably going to hate him after you see what Bama’s offense does to your excuse of a defense. Love him or hate him the Lane Train is here to stay. You can find him on the nearest field torching your defense. Lane Train goes choo choo!

LSU your argument is invalid. Les Miles eats grass and has to replace its starting QB, all its starting wide receivers, its starting running back, and four starters on defense. Prediction: Corndog sales plummit across Louisana and Saban makes it 4 in a row against the grass muncher.

We live to dominate the B1G 10, Big 12, ACC, Pac 12, or any other conference that doesn’t measure up to the SEC. Now that the playoff has started we look to continue the trend. Alabama is 30-4 against non-conference opponents since Saban took over the Bama train in 2007.

See we are Alabama and you’re not. We don’t back down, we just simply win and crush opponents dreams. It’s in our DNA. Break it down DJ Khaled.

If you think you’re team has a legitimate shot of taking down the Tide this year let me know in the comments below but I can already tell you the answer to that. To all my Bama fans Roll Tide and to the haters, may Nick Saban have mercy on you.

“If wanting to win is a fault, as some of my critics seem to insist, then I plead guilty. I like to win. I know no other way. It’s in my blood.” – Paul “Bear” Bryant

Today we’re going to review a world class IPA from Ballast Point Brewing Company. Ballast Point got it’s start back in 1996 in the back of a homebrew store in San Diego. 18 years and 3 World Beer Cup medals later they are still producing high quality and tasty brew.

When I think of craft beer in San Diego the big name that first comes to mind is Stone, and rightfully so as they release pretty awesome beers that hold the interests of craft beer enthusiasts. So you may ask yourself how does Ballast Point compare with big name breweries like Stone? The answer is quite simple, there’s a new kid in town and that kid is named Sculpin.

Sculpin is a very popular brew amongst the online beer community, receiving a 100 from Ratebeer and a 98 from Beeradvocate, the reviews of this beer are almost overwhelmingly positive. It is consistently touted as one of the best IPAs in the country as it should be. Distribution of this beer in Alabama has been somewhat limited; so I was excited to finally get my hands on one last week.

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

Serving Type: 12 oz. Bottle

Appearance: Pours like liquid gold, thin but intricate lacing all the way down. Has a somewhat transparent orange color with some amber tones. The frothy head doesn’t dissipate easy, and gives the beer a very stately appearance. Real nice.

Smell: Ahhhhh. Stick your face into a glass of Sculpin and you may never come up for air. It has an amazing hop nose with strong Pacific NW hops which are wonderfully fragrant and rich. Very good stuff going on. It just begs “DRINK ME”.

Taste: Highly bitter. The hops hit you like a freight train but in a good way. Aftertaste is extremely mild and the 7.0% ABV is hidden by the hops and abundant flavors. As advertised it “packs a bit of a sting…. just like a sculpin”

Drinkability: Nice, clean, refreshing, and lots of flavor. Even though it has a good bite from the hops and carbonation, it’s still easily drinkable as the alcohol is not noticed. The bitterness lets you know it’s an IPA, but it never damages your tongue or throat. Just a well-rounded, top of the line, IPA.

Overall thoughts: If someone wanted me to suggest an IPA, I think this is the perfect blueprint of the type. It’s definitely in my top 5 IPAs. It’s hard to go wrong with a beer that wows you every time you drink it. Big props to Ballast Point on this award winner. Ok, now kids go play in the back yard. Daddy needs a Sculpin.

Don’t worry, friends, I haven’t officially quit blogging. After a brief hiatus The Southern Committee is back. Here’s a quick update to catch you up on the awesome stuff coming to The Southern Committee:

– New series dedicated to finding the best beer in Alabama (more details next week)

– The Southern Committee’s 2014 SEC preview. With only 41 days until college football returns I’ll preview what the SEC has in store for 2014.

This weeks brew review features 4 beers I received in my December shipment from the Original Craft Beer Club. Two are from Elysian Brewing, a Seattle based brewery and two are from Sierra Blanca, a brewery located in Moriarty, New Mexico. If you missed my post last week about my first shipment check it out here.

Elysian Loser Pale Ale: With it’s slogan “Corporate Beer Still Sucks” as a play on of the tshirt Kurt Cobain wore on the cover of Rolling Stone that said “Corporate magazines still suck”. This beer is dedicated to Sub-Pop records which was the biggest label to release the grunge style in the 90’s. This American Pale Ale definitely lives up to the style. It’s very full flavored, with an excellent balance between malt and citrus hops. The smell is sweet and fruity but it tastes more like an IPA to me. It has a large hop presence to it but is only 57 IBU’s and it also has a very good mouthfeel as the hops stick to the tongue. Overall I liked this quite a bit. It’s worth a try if you’re looking for a different kind of pale ale or a really light IPA.

Sierra Blanca Nut Brown Ale: Wow! I have to admit, I find most English Browns pretty boring but this one was pretty good. It’s dark but not too heavy in appearance. It has flavors of brown sugar, nuts, and hops with a good dry finish without alcohol presence noticed. It has enough malt character to hang out with Brown Porters and possibly some Robust Porters. Overall a quality brew from Sierra Blanca, I’m glad I got to try it. A great beer to sip in the mountains of New Mexico on a cold night.

Elysian Bifrost Winter Ale: This is an unusual and delicious beer. When you first take a sip you can slightly pick up on the 7.6% ABV but I would never have guessed this was a winter warmer. Due to the higher amount of hops than normal for this style, it is not nearly as sweet or sticky as some of the other winter warmers I have tried. Also, I enjoyed the fact that it did not seem like it had a lot of spices added to it, which in my opinion made the beer a little easier to drink. Overall this is a nice beer, full flavored and lots of character. Tastes like the hops are licking your teeth, nice bitterness, but very sticky and very delicious. Dangerous folks over there at Elysian Brewing, crafting this beast.

Sierra Blanca Roswell Alien Amber: I appreciate what this is, for what it is. Not my favorite brew ever, but the carbonation is good, the body is medium, and it’s plenty refreshing. A little too much sweet, but its yummy in a lot of ways. Smells a bit like white grape juice mixed with plastic and orange peel. Hard to tell if the citrus note is coming from the hops, the yeast, or…somewhere….ELSE? (cue X-files music). Overall, a decent brew. Nothing terribly exciting, but I’d have it again. If you’re from New Mexico or love aliens, give it a go. Otherwise, pass over it, there’s a lot of other choice out there, as far as ambers are concerned. It’s not bad, just certainly nothing memorable.

Overall I was pleased with the selection of brews sent to me from the Craft Beer Club. It’s nice getting a new surprise in the mail every other and month. I’ll be looking forward to my next shipment of tasty goodness in February.

If you’ve ever tried any of these beers or have beers you want to see me review let me know in the comments below.